The automotive industry has turned to the use of interior trim components such as door panels comprising a polyvinyl chloride shell. See, for example, the trim components disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,403. The acceptance of such components has been primarily due to this type of construction accommodating a wide latitude in styling and color, and grain effects which are most desired, particularly in the interior design of automobiles.
The current state of the art includes a preformed grained vinyl shell made from dry thermoplastic powder particles which are applied to a heated shell mold from a powder box to form a continuous monochromatic one-piece shell.
Heretofore, leakage between the typical edges of vinyl shells and adjacent inserts or substrates within retainer molds has been a common occurrence, requiring very time-consuming manual cleaning of the leaked foam from the exterior surfaces of either or both the insert and/or the vinyl shell. It has also been common practice to pour more than the volume required for the particular automotive article being formed in order to assure that the desired volume remains after the leakage occurs.